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AQUATIC HYPHOMYCETES FROM SWITZERLAND

By C. T. INGOLD
Department of Botany, Birkbeck College, London

(With 3 Text-figures)

Working in Britain I found a special flora of aquatic Hyphomycetes

growing on submerged decaying leaves of broad-leaved trees and shrubs
in streams and other well-aerated water. Some twenty-five species of these
fungi were recognized. Six had previously been described, though rather
imperfectly, but their special relationship to submerged leaves had not
been appreciated.
My early work (Ingold, 1942) was limited to a small stream in Leicester-
shire, but later, scattered observations (Ingold, 1943) covering England,
Wales and Ireland, showed that this flora was widespread, and suitable
decaying leaves from any stream never failed to give crops of these fungi.
The examination ofleaves from other localities in the British Isles added
only a few to the list of species reported from the stream in Leicestershire,
and, although intensive search would almost certainly add a few to the list
of species already known, it is doubtful if many more await discovery.
It was clearly of interest to know if the same flora was to be found
elsewhere in Europe and, on a short visit to Switzerland in the late summer
of 1947, I took the opportunity to study the fungi of submerged decaying
leaves of willow and alder in alpine waters. My observations were made
possible by the kindness of Prof. E. Gaumann of Zurich who not only lent
me a microscope and other necessary apparatus, but also suggested an
excellent locality (Surlej-Silvaplana) for my operations.
Surlej (1800 m.) lies in that valley of the Upper Engadi ne which includes
a series of lakes (St Moritzersee, See von Campfer, Silvaplanersee and
Silbersee) linked by short stretches of river. Bordering these stretches, on
either side of the main channel, are patches of willow scrub, flooded
doubtless when the river is in spate, but through which in summer there
trickle occasional small streams. Willow leaves from these small streams were
examined in the region between St Moritzbad and the See von Compfer.
In addition to the main river, there are numerous little torrents cascading
down the mountain sides to join the water system of the valley. The steep
sides of the valley up to about 2 IOO m. bear a fine coniferous forest, but
bordering the torrents are alders and willows. Decaying leaves of these,
caught between the small boulders of the streams, were also examined.
It was at once apparent that the decaying leaves, both from the main
stream and from the tributary torrents, bore rich crops of aquatic
Hyphomycetes.
Altogether six collections, each of 10-20 leaves, were carefully examined.
These yielded nine known species (Table I and fig. I) and, in addition,
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an interesting new fungus apparently referable to the genus Anguillospora,
All these species figured in more than one collection.
Table I
Species Notes
Alatospora acuminata Ingold Very abundant
Lemonniera aquatica de Wild. Very abundant
Flagellospora curvula Ingold Very abundant
Tetracladium marchalianum de Wild. Very abundant
Articulospora tetracladia Ingold Abundant
Tricladium splendens Ingold Seen three times
Heliscus aquaticus Ingold Seen twice
Tetracladium setigerum (Grove) Ingold Seen twice
Tricladium angulatum Ingold Seen twice

ryt 2a 2c

1a

8a

Fig. I. Aquatic Hyphomycetes drawn with the aid of a camera Lucida from specimens collected
in Upper Engadine. I, Lemonniera aquatica, a, conidiophore with two developing spores;
b, spore. 2, Articulospora tetracladia, a, conidiophore with one ripe spore; b, conidiophore with
two developing spores; c, spore. 3, Flagellospora curoula, conidiophore bearing two spores.
4, Heliscus aquaticus, spore. 5, Tricladium angulatum, conidiophore with one ripe spore and an
unbranched spore-primordium. 6, Tricladium splendens, conidiophore with ripe spore.
7, Alatospora acuminata, a, conidiophore with ripe spore; b, liberated spore. 8, Tetracladium
marchalianum, a, conidiophore bearing one nearly mature spore and an unbranched spore-
primordium; b, spore. 9, Tetracladium setigerum, conidiophore bearing one mature spore and
a spore-primordium developing its first lateral branch.

These organisms clearly formed the characteristic fungus flora of the

decaying leaves and, although a few pythiaceous fungi were seen, they
were few and far between. Submerged decaying leaves of herbaceous
plants and of conifers were examined, but no trace of aquatic Hypho-
mycetes was found on them.
 Aquatic Hyphomycetes. C. T. Ingold 343
With the exception of Tetracladium marchalianum these fungi are recorded
for th e first time from Switzerland. De Wildeman (1894) reported
T. marchalianum from a pond in Geneva. However, even the restricted
conception of that species which he proposed in 1894 included at least
two species (see Ingold, 194'2) and, as he gave no figures of the Geneva
material, it is not possible to say what species he actually observed.
A noteworthy feature of the list (Table I) is the absence of Clavariopsis
aquatica and Anguillospora longissima which are almost invariably present on
submerged decaying leaves from streams in Britain.

Anguillospora fiagellifera n.sp.

This fungus (Figs. '2 and 3) was found in the first instance on a submerged
leaf decayed too far for certain identification, but it was later collected on
a decaying willow leaf from another stream.
The mycelium is branched, septate, hyaline and ramifies in the tissue
of the leaf, from which the conidiophores grow out at right angles. The
conidiophore is simple, narrow ('2 f.L diam.) towards its base, but inflated
ncar its apex (6- 9 f.L diam .). The single elongated, hyaline conidium
(aleur iospore) is terminal. It is 14O-200f.L long, truncate at its base where
the diameter is 6-8f.L, but it widens upwards becoming 10-14f.L broad at
a distanc e of 40-50 f.L from the base, but above that it narrows, to form
a whip-like terminal part only 2-3 f.L in diameter. This whip-like end is
curved in such a way that th e spore does not lie in a single plane. The
conidium has 4-6 septa and is very pearly in appearance no doubt due to
to a reserve of glycogen. When mature the spore separates from its coni.
diophore apparently by th e breakd own of the middle lam ella at the
junction between the two. Germination is by a single, very straight germ
tube developed laterally from near the base of the lowermost cell of the
spore, quite often before it is shed. The liberation of the spore does not
necessarily bring the activity of the conidiophore to an end , for it may grow
out laterally, below the scar left by the separation of the first spore, and
give rise to a second.
The reference ofthis well-mark ed species to the genus Anguillospora seems
justified because it is an aquatic Hyphomycete with a worm-like spore of
the aleuriospore type borne singly on a conidiophore which is usually
simple. It differs from th e only other species, A. longissima, in a number of
ways. First, the spore is wider and its two ends are strikingly different,
whilst in A. longissima it is alm ost impossible to distinguish base from apex
in th e liberated conidium. Secondly, the conidium germinates by a single
lateral germ-tube arising from the basal cell, but th at of A. longissima
germinates by basal and api cal tubes in line with the longitudinal axis of
the spore. Thirdly, th e conidi ophore with its inflat ed apex contrasts with
th at of A. longissima, for in that species it is difficult to be sure, until the
spore is about to be shed, where th e conidiophore ends and the conidium
begins. Fourthly, no separating cell, such as occurs in A. longissima, is
developed.

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Fig. 2. Angudlospora flagellifera. Conidiophores with conidia. Contents shown only in a and b.
In e and f the conidium has germinated while still attached. In e, f, g and h scars left by
detached conidia are shown. In h a very young spore-primordium is shown to the right of
a mature spore.

Fig. 3. Anguillosporaflagellifera. Conidia, most of which have started to germinate.

 Aquatic Hyphomycetes. C. T. Ingold 345
Anguillospora fiagellifera sp.nov.
Fungus submersus aquaticus, mycelio repente, hyalino, septato,
ramoso. Conidiophora simplex, basim versus 2 fL lata, summa parte
inflata 6-9fL lata. Conidium (aleuriospora) acrogenum, hyalinum,
4-6 septatum, vermiforme vel falcatum, 14o-2oofL longum, ad basim
truncatum 6-8fL latum, in medio 10-14fL latum, ad apicem filiforme
curvatum et ad 2-3fL diam. attenuatum. In germinatione oritur una
lateralis hypha solum e conidii infima cellula.
Hab. In foliis putrescentibus in flumine submersis, in Valle Engadin
Helvetiae.

SUMMARY
Aquatic Hyphomycetes form the characteristic fungus flora of submerged
decaying leaves of alder and willow in Switzerland as in Britain. Leaves
collected from streams in the Upper Engadine in August 1947 yielded nine
species already reported from Britain and, in addition, a species, Anguillo-
spora fiagellifera, apparently new to science.

REFERENCES
DE WILDEMAN, E. (1894). Notes mycologiques. Fascicle 3. Ann. Soc. Beige. Microsc.
XVIII, 135-61.
INGOLD, C. T. (1942). Aquatic Hyphomycetes of decaying alder leaves. Trans. Brit.
mycol. Soc. XXV, 339-416.
INGOLD, C. T. (1943). On the distribution of aquatic Hyphomycetes saprophytic on
submerged decaying leaves. New Phytol. XLII, 139-43.

(Accepted for publication 27 July 1948)

NOTE. Since this paper was accepted, I have found Anguillosporaflagellifera

on a decaying leaf from a small lake at Clandeboye, Co. Down, Ireland,
during the Autumn Foray, 1948.